MAIAM–Ari Meghlen: Writer, Blogger, Bad Card Player

Today, I’m happy to introduce an amazing blogger and writer (I’ve never played cards with her, so can’t comment there!), Ari Meghlen. One of the things I love about Ari is how supportive she is of other bloggers and writers, so show her some love and visit her blog.

First things first, what’s the name of your current book?

I’m currently writing book one of a fantasy trilogy called The Blessed, and as yet this book does not have its own title.

New ideas are always cropping up. Give me your best book title that doesn’t have a story.

Actually, I never have titles before I have the story. I have a lot of stories without titles or ones that have working titles. I usually need the story to be completed before I have a fitting title for it.

Words are kind of our thing. What’s your favorite word?

I love the word ‘Bizarre’. It just always makes me smile 😊

Some people need the light of day to function and others prefer the quiet of night. When do you write?

I used to write mostly at night as I had less distractionsbut that’s changed as I’ve got older. Now I prefer writing in the day, preferably starting in the morning when I have the most amount of energy.

Names really help set a mood. What’s your process for picking people and place names?

My main go-to for picking character names is movie credits. I am a serious movie lover so whenever I’m watching one, I always scan over the names of the crew who worked on it. I always get several great names.

I then add these to my Master List of Names so I always have plenty to pick from when I need them.

Place names are different, I usually look at street names for inspiration.

Even finishing a scene feels like a reason to throw a party. Have a favorite way to celebrate finishing a project?

Cake! I always celebrate with cake 😊 When I finish my first draft, I treat myself to a mini carrot cake. For smaller victories, I treat myself to a movie with my partner.

We know writing is primarily a creative endeavor. Tell me something you never expected to get from writing.

Beta-readers are our first fans and critics. If you could pick any writer, past or present, to be your beta-reader, who would you pick?

I would have loved Terry Pratchett to be my beta-reader and visit my worlds. He had such a rich flavor to his novels, you truly were transported to these incredible locations, to walk with the Watch, to argue around a Cauldron, to see the edge of the world…

But since I’m a natural nervous wreck even when my loving and incredibly supportive partner reads my work… I think if Terry Pratchett had been my beta-reader. I’d have ended up curled in the corner having a full-blown panic attack!

Tell the truth. How many notebooks and journals do you own?

*Nervous laughter* Hello. My name is Ari, and I have a notebook addiction.

Currently 80% of my possessions are packed because we are in temporary location while we are buying our house. Even due to this, I have about 27 notebooks out. I have even more packed away. I wouldn’t like to think how many I have.

Writers keep their eyes open for inspiration, which makes us notice a lot more than most. What random piece of everyday beauty do you love?

Nature is my inspiration. Watching the garden birds, or the butterflies gives me great joy. Even the wildlife that few people like to watch, such as snails and wasps, I find fascinating. They are all beautiful in their own way.

As much as we love to write, some parts of being a writer can be a chore. What’s your most tempting distraction?

Youtube. I originally would go on to find interesting tips and tricks for things like Marketing or Outlining. Now I am addicted to watching crime documentaries and can just lose hours in a day, if I’m not careful. That’s the problem with YouTube, you can start off with videos that are specific to helping you…and end up on something totally different.

We indies need to stick together. Any indie writers on your radar right now?

I love Indie Writers and am always looking out for new books. I have a number of Indie writers (not yet published but whose books I’ll be jumping to get when they are).

Some of the published writers currently on my radar are I.L Cruz, S.R. Severn and Suzanne Rogerson.

Thanks again for participating in #MAIAM. It’s been great getting to know you better and I’m looking forward to The Blessed! Happy MAIAM everyone!